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Erongo Desalination Plant provided 55 million cubic meters potable water to the region during 10-year operation period

Erongo Desalination Plant provided 55 million cubic meters potable water to the region during 10-year operation period

In the 10 years of its operation, the Erongo Desalination Plant has managed to provide the Erongo region with of 55,625,172m3 (more than 55 million cubic meters) potable water.

On Monday this week, the plant celebrated 10 years of operation.

The plant commenced its operations on 1 June 2010 after a 30-month construction period, an investment of N$2.5 billion by Orano (the then AREVA). The plant was originally built to supply water for Orano’s Trekkopje mine, currently still in care and maintenance as a result of the continued depression in the uranium price.

Located 35 kilometres north of Swakopmund near the settlement of Wlotzkasbaken in the Namib Desert, it is the largest reverse osmosis seawater desalination plant in southern Africa.

The plant is now an important contributor to the overall supply of potable water delivery system managed by NamWater, operated by Nafasi Water.

The current plant capacity is 20 million cubic meters per annum and it can be upgraded to achieve 26 million cubic meters per annum within the existing buildings, and should demand require even more, it can be extended to supply 45 million cubic meters per year.

Orano Mining Namibia Managing Director, Tommie Gouws congratulated the Erongo Desalination Plant team and thanked them for the valuable work they do to ensure reliable and safe water supply to the coastal region.

“This is an inspirational achievement to reach a great milestone of 10 years of being lost time injury free. This is a standard set for all operation worldwide,” Gouws said.


 

About The Author

Donald Matthys

Donald Matthys has been part of the media fraternity since 2015. He has been working at the Namibia Economist for the past three years mainly covering business, tourism and agriculture. Donald occasionally refers to himself as a theatre maker and has staged two theatre plays so far. Follow him on twitter at @zuleitmatthys